Simon Pegg: ‘Tom Cruise Will Put His Life on the Line for His Audience’

Actor and writer Simon Pegg, who got to share the screen with Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible franchise, bore witness to the respect he has for the action hero's dedication to his craft.

Pegg was awed at Cruise's willingness to risk incredibly perilous things just to perform for the masses, divulging that the actor is always "happy to risk his life" while filming.

In an interview with People, Pegg shared his amazement, saying, “Tom Cruise literally will risk his life for the audience. I’ve said, ‘You’re absolutely nuts’ many times to him. But he just cares that much about it.”

Pegg fondly recalled one of the most iconic stunts from the Mission: Impossible series — in 2011’s Ghost Protocol, when Cruise famously climbed the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, in Dubai. Pegg remembered watching Cruise perform the daredevil feat, saying, “Just leaning out of the window and seeing Tom sort of hanging there, smiling, this big s--- eating grin on his face, like, ‘I’m having the best time.’”

Reflecting on another high-octane scene in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), Pegg recalled it was the first time he'd seen Cruise nervous about a stunt. The stunt involved a tremendous risk, but as Pegg suggested, it was exhaustively rehearsed to every aspect of the stunt, and Cruise's dedication left him completely ready.

Though Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is highly awaited by fans, Pegg will again be reprising Benji Dunn, among other returning cast members like Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, Vanessa Kirby as Alanna Mitsopolis, and Hayley Atwell as Grace. The film also includes new faces in the franchise like Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Katy O'Brian, and Stephen Oyoung. Under the direction of Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will hit theaters on May 23, 2025, and is highly anticipated as the follow-up to Dead Reckoning Part One (2023).

With such a fantastic cast and suspenseful action that this series is renowned for, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be a never-to-be-forgotten experience.